There are a few important things to know before you start changing Apple ID or Apple account information. We’ll walk you through how to change your Apple ID password, email, phone number, and more, and we’ll also discuss some of the pros and cons of changing this information.

How Do I Find My Apple ID Settings?

First, we'll go over how to find your Apple ID in the Settings app so that you can change the settings as you see fit.

Open the Settings app.
Tap on your Apple ID profile at the top.
You'll see a list of menus called Personal Information, Sign-In & Security, Payment & Shipping, and Subscriptions.
Below these menus, you'll see menus for iCloud, Famil, Find My, Media & Purchases, and Sign in with Apple.
Next on the screen, you'll see a list of the Apple devices that are part of your account.

Each of these menu items will have an arrow on them, indicating that you can tap on them for more details. It’s best to go through the different menus to see what you can do in each. There are a lot of different settings you have convenient access to from the main Apple ID screen.

Now that you know how to access these menus, we'll move on to what you can edit in each menu and how to do so without compromising your account.

How to Change Your Name & Birthday on Your Apple ID

This menu is a little tricky, as certain changes can affect your account access and how you're contacted. Most of this information will be pre-filled according to your Apple ID account information, but you can edit your name and birthday without affecting much. If you're interested in changing your Apple ID (including your email address), we'll cover that in the next section.

To change your name and birth date on your Apple ID account:

Open the Settings app.
Tap on your Apple ID profile at the top.
Tap Personal Information.
To change your name, tap your name at the top.
Tap into the name section you want to edit and make your changes.
Tap Done to save your changes.
To change your birth date, tap into the Birthday section.
Tap the arrow keys and calendar dates set your birthday to the correct date.
Tap Done to save your changes.

How to Change Your Apple ID

Here's where things get a little tricky. There are limitations to what can be used as an Apple ID, and the process to change an Apple ID can be tricky. Here's how to change your Apple ID if needed.

If you can no longer use an email account that is on your Apple ID, you'll need to change your Apple ID email. Purchases and other data on your account will not be affected by this change; you'll still have access to them.

Note: If you created an @icloud.com email address and are trying to use that as your Apple ID email, you may not be able to make the change until 30 days after you've signed up for the iCloud email account. This is a security measure.

How to Change Your Apple ID Password

You can change your Apple ID password at any time. You will likely also see emails or other notifications alerting you to a new sign-on on certain devices. If the activity makes sense according to the changes you've been making to your account, you can ignore these alerts.

How to Change Your Apple Account Payment Method & Address

If you've moved or need to update or change your payment method for your Apple account, you can make those changes within the Apple ID menu in the Settings app.

Open the Settings app.
Tap on your Apple ID profile at the top.
Tap on Payment & Shipping.
To remove a payment method, tap Edit in the upper-right corner.
Tap the red minus icon to delete the payment method, then tap Done.
To add a payment method, tap Add Payment Method.
Tap the payment method type you want to add.
Fill in the details, then tap Done.
To add an address, tap Add Shipping Address.
Fill in the address details, then tap Done.
You can also tap on an address you wish to edit to edit or delete an address.
Tap Delete Shipping Address (or Edit).
Tap OK to confirm.

There’s quite a bit more you can access from the Apple ID menu. One of my favorite things about it is the ability to see what iPhone model you have without needing your model number. Take a few minutes to explore, and you’ll get an idea of when accessing this menu is ideal.

Be sure to check out our free Tip of the Day for more great Apple ID tutorials!

FAQ

How do I fix an "Apple ID Disabled" error message? If you received an Apple ID disabled error message, there may be a billing/payment method issue, you may have entered the wrong password too many times, and more.
How do I sign in to websites and apps using my Apple ID? You can use Sign in with Apple to securely sign in to websites and apps with your Apple ID; just tap Continue with Apple during the sign-in process to use the feature.
Why is my Apple ID grayed out? If your Apple ID is grayed out, you may have Screen Time restrictions enabled. Open the Settings app, tap Screen Time, and check your Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Can You Use Your Phone Number as Your Apple ID? According to Apple, you can set your phone number as your Apple ID, but only if you live in India or mainland China. For most users, the Apple ID will be an email address linked to their Apple ID account.